A ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly

ABSTRACT

A ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly especially useful in a ticket transport device. The ticket punching mechanism has a punch member moved into ticket punching engagement by means of a crank device. The stop assembly includes a plurality of slide bars actuated by solenoid devices to place a predetermined slide bar in stopping position with a ticket to provide for a predetermined punching of the ticket.

X 6 9 3 3 oo Amell W. Palmer [56] References Cited p -fl- UNITED STATES PATENTS [211 *PPLNQ 969 682,197 9/1901 HOllCl'ith...,...............

9; J 1,131,492 3/1915 Dunasky.............. Division of Ser. No. 729,615, May 16, 1968,

2,000,159 5/1935 Bolognmomw... Pat. No. 3,530,968 2,253,311 8/1941 Ward............ [451 Pmmed c 3 250 166 5/1966 Stewart Primary Examiner- Frank T. Yost Altomeys- Francis X. Doyle, Vale P. Myles, Frank L.

Neuhauser, Oscar B. Waddell and Melvin M. Goldenberg ASSEMBLY 2 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs. v

ABSTRACT: A ticket punching mechanism and sto United States Patent [72] Inventor [22] Filed 73] Assignee [54] A TICKliT PUNClilNG STOP p assembly especially useful in a ticket transport device. The ticket punching mechanism has a punch member moved into ticket punching engagement by means of a crank device. The stop assembly includes a plurality of slide bars actuated by solenoid devices to place a predetermined slide bar in stopping position with a ticket to provide for a predetermined punching of the 101/66 ticket.

Lom 2 lmo 92W0H U 363M77- /3 33 M32 88 M 8 1 m n w. B 5 m mm m5 9 m 4 B B "7 9 6 7 m 6 u 4 .6 "9 w s 1 m8 8 "6 6 m2 0 3 "4 8 L 4 m 2 l L m r C s 1 M U h l. l. .l 2 l 0 5 5 5 ll Patented Aug. 24, 1971 3,600,998

3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 24-, 1971 3 Sheets-$heet 2 r ww w /U w 6 J J Patented Au 24, 1971 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 A TICKET PUNCIIING MECHANISM AND STOP ASSEMBLY This is a division of application Ser. No. 729,615, filed May 16, 1968, now Pat. No. 3,530,968, in the name of the present inventor and is assigned to the same assignee as this present application.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to ticket handling and storage means for automatic handling and storage of information coded tickets or cards and, more particularly, to a ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly.

In todays society, increased use is being made of credit cards and other types of cards or tokens to charge goods, to determine charges and collect such charges for use of equipment or space and to provide access to or egress from various areas such as parking lots, fairs or other places of amusement and the like. With the proliferation of such cards or tokens many of which are provided with machine sensible coding means an increased need is found for automated means to read, write and store such tokens.

Also, in the transit area, much progress is being made in the use of rapid transit to transport the greatest number of people in the shortest possible time to relieve the congestion of vehicles, particularly in the centers of the larger cities. In most of these systems, it is desirable to provide a graduated fare system such that a passenger using the rapid transit system will pay fare in accordance with the use of the transit system. However, with such transit systems, it is desirable to provide for the automatic collection of such fares. Since an automatic fare collection deice for rapid transit systems must be simple to operate, to enable all passengers to readily use such device, it requires a ticket handling and storage mechanism that does not rely on any complex operations by the passenger. Ideally the passenger should only need to present a prepaid ticket to the mechanism to enter the system and present such ticket again to the mechanism to exit from the transit system. All required operations should be performed by the mechanism without any needed assistance from the passenger. The invention disclosed herein in its preferred form is a ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly especially useful in a ticket handling and storage mechanism such as disclosed in aforementioned Pat; No. 3,530,968.

It is therefore one object of this invention to provide a ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly that is actuated by coded tickets and operates on such coded tickets.

A further object of this invention is to provide a ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly having a plurality of selective stop members for selective punching of tickets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the preferred form of this invention, there is provided a ticket handling and storage mechanism having a ticket transport device actuated by a ticket to carry such ticket through the mechanism. A ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly is provided having a plurality of stop members to stop such ticket at a predetermined position and punch a selected portion of such ticket.

The invention which is sought to be protected will be particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims appended hereto. However, it is believed that this invention, and the manner in which its various objects and advantages are obtained, as well as other objects and advantages thereof, will be better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof, particularly when considered in the light of the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a side elevation view ofan embodiment of a ticket handling and storage mechanism according to Pat. No. 3,530,968 showing a preferred placement of the punch mechanism and stop assembly of this invention;

FIG. 1a is a top view of one form of passenger gate for enclosing the handling and storage mechanism of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a punch mechanism together with a stop assembly for stopping a ticket at a selected position under the punch assembly according to the present preferred embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3 is a partial detached side view showing the operative relation of the punch with a resetting mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of a preferred form of stop assembly according to this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a partial side view of a portion of the stop assembly shown in FIG. 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As previously discussed, in an automatic fare collection system, it is desired to have ticket handling and storage means which operate to allow the customer or passenger to enter or leave a rapid transit system while requiring as few operations on the part of the passenger as possible. The ticket handling and storing mechanism of Pat. No. 3,530,968 merely requires the passenger to present a prepaid ticket to an entrance slot in a passenger gate, then substantially immediately remove such ticket and enter the transit system. At exit, the passenger again presents the ticket to a slot in the passenger gate and if the correct fare has been paid, immediately leaves the transit system. If the ticket is a prepaid ticket having further use by the passenger, it is returned to the passenger prior to exit. If the ticket is reusable, but only on payment of a further fare, or if it is not reusable at all, it is captured by the mechanism and stored for reuse or discarded, if not further usable. For a complete description of the structure and operation of the present preferred embodiment of the ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly, reference will now be made to the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts throughout the various views thereof.

Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a side elevation view of the preferred embodiment of the ticket handling and storage mechanism of Pat. No. 3,530,968 and the positioning of the punching mechanism and stop assembly of this invention. The mechanism of FIG. 1 would be assembled into a pas senger gate 10, one type of which is shown in FIG. 1a, and would function to release a turnstile 12, or other barrier, to allow the passenger to enter or exit from a rapid transit system (not shown). The ticket handling and storage mechanism of FIG. 1 includes an entrance slot 14 for receiving a prepaid ticket and has a ticket sensing device or switch 16 for actuating the ticket transport 18. Included along the path of the ticket transport 18 is a read head 20 for reading information coded on the ticket, such as, for example, ticket 22 (FIG. 2). A write head 24 is also provided for writing information on the ticket. Beyond the write head 24 along the path of the ticket transport 18 is a punch mechanism 26 which may be used to remove material from a used ticket. If a punch mechanism is used for entrance, then in the exit mode, and located at the same position along the transport 18 as the punch mechanism 26, a capture mechanism 28 is provided for discarding used tickets which are not reusable, such used tickets being dis carded into the discard ticket storage 30. A reversing switch 32 is provided at the end of transport 18 to reverse the transport 18 and return the ticket 22 to entrance slot 14.

If the ticket is a single trip, reusable ticket, but one requiring further payment of fare, it is stored in the storage area or storage device 34 after use to exit from the'transit system. The storage device 34 includes a plurality of storage cartridges 36 for storing reusable tickets. A driving means 38 is provided in the storage device operating a driving chain 40 and a plurality of cam devices 42 for moving tickets into storage cartridges 36 in the exit mode, and out of the storage cartridges 36 in the entrance mode.

In some fare collection systems it is desirable to provide punching means in the passenger gate for removing areas of some tickets. For example, some transit systems considered it desirable to provide commutor tickets which will be prepaid for a given number of rides. After each ride the ticket will be punched to eliminate one area of the ticket to show that a ride has been taken. Punching of the ticket will preferably be done on entrance to the system. To provide this function in the ticket handling and storage mechanism of this invention, a punch mechanism 26 is provided along the ticket transport 18. The preferred punch mechanism is best shown in FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 which are perspective views and partial side views of the punch mechanism 26 and a related variable stop assembly 102, respectively. Referring first to FIG. 2, the punch mechanism 26 is shown as including a pair of punches 104, 106 which are mounted in a punch plate 108 which in turn is secured to the frame 54 (see FIG. 1). Obviously, more or less punches could be provided. Punches 104 and 106 are mounted for reciprocation in plate 108 and are spring biased in the upward position shown. Each punch 104 and 106 is provided with a pivoted portion 110 and 1 12, respectively, which cooperates with a punch crank shaft 114 to drive either punch 104 or 106 downward against the spring bias. A pair of punch selector solenoids 116, 118 are provided, either being energized according to the area of the ticket to be punched, for selecting either punch 104, 106 for operation. As will be understood, the read head assembly 20 can determine the position of a magnetized area to be removed, and by so doing, selects the appropriate selector solenoid 116 or 118, to be energized by the variable stop assembly 102 by the action of a ticket 22 against a stop member in the assembly 102 in a manner to be described. The energized solenoid 116 or 118 attracts the pivoted selector arm 110 or 112 bringing it under the crank shaft 114.

A punch drive motor 120 is provided to drive the punch crankshaft 114. Driving is provided from motor 120 by a belt 122 which is entrained over the crankshaft drive wheel 124. The energization of the punch motor 120 is initiated at the read head assembly 20 by the action of a ticket 22 passing under it that requires punching.

A variable stop mechanism 102 cooperates with the punch mechanism 26 to position a ticket 22 in the appropriate position under the punch mechanism. Stop mechanism 102, as shown in FIG- 4 comprises a plurality of stop slide bars 126 which are mounted within the stop mechanism 102, by means of slots 128, on a bar 130. The slide bars 126 are driven upward by the driving springs 132 which are mounted in slots 128 and secured to the bar 130. In the preferred embodiment, l2 slide bars 126 are provided each having a locking notch 134 which cooperates with one of four locking bars. Only two of the locking bars, 136 and 138, are shown in the drawing. These locking bars hold the slide bars 126 in the lower or locked position. Each locking bar is pivotally mounted, bars 136 and 138 being pivoted about a pivot pin 140 while the other locking bars (not shown) are pivotally mounted on the other side of the stop assembly 102 about the pivot pin 142. Each locking bar is rocked about its pivot by a solenoid, such as solenoid 144, for locking bar 136 and solenoid 146 for locking bar 138. The other two solenoids are on the other side of the stop assembly 102 and are not shown in the drawing. As

will be understood, as the locking bars are pivoted about pins 140 and 142 the various slide bars 126 held by the locking bars in the notches 134 are released and rise to the stop position such as the two raised slide bars 126 shown in FIG. 2.

The four solenoids and locking bars operate as a binary decoder to release the various slide bars 126 to provide stops in any one of 12 predetermined positions. The signals for the solenoid will be initiated from the read head assembly 20 which will cause the appropriate solenoids to be energized to place the proper slide bar 126 in the predetermined stop posi- U011.

Each slide bar 126 has associated therewith an actuating bar 148. The bars 148 are pivotally mounted on rod 150 which is slidably mounted in the case of the stop assembly 102. Each actuating bar 148 has a nose portion 152 fitting into a notch 154 ofa slide bar 126. Thus when a slide bar 126 is raised, the associated actuating bar 148 will also be raised, pivoting about the rod 150. As is best shown in FIG. 5, all the actuating bars 148 are mounted along rod substantially contacting each other. A locking snap ring 156 is placed on rod 150 after the last actuating bar 148, thus fixing the actuating bars 148 to the rod 150. As will be noted, each actuating bar 148 is wider than its associated slide bar 126 (see FIGS. 2 and 4) and spring switch member 158 holds the actuating bars 148 and rod 150 in the forward position, toward the end of the stop assembly 102 nearest the write head assembly 24, (to the right as viewed in FIG. 1). Since the actuating bars 148 are wider than slide bars 126, the raised actuating bar 148 will have its leading edge ahead of the leading edge of the associated slide bar 126. Thus a ticket 22 entering the punch mechanism 126 and the stop assembly 102 along the tracks 44, 52 will first engage the leading edge of the raised actuating bar 148 and move it to the rear before coming to a stop against the raised slide bar 126. As can be seen from FIG. 5, movement of the actuating bar 148 to the rear (right in FIG. 5) will push switch spring 158 to the right pivoting about the pivot point 160 actuating the switch 162. Switch 162 is the punch selector solenoid initiating switch so that a card or ticket 22 will actuate the appropriate punch selector 110 or 112 whenever a slide bar 126 is raised to stop a ticket 22 for punching.

As the punch mechanism 126 operates, to punch ticket 22, it acts to automatically reset stop assembly 102. Stop assembly 102 has a reset plate 164 which is pivotally mounted about pivot pin 166 mounted in the sides of stop assembly 102. Reset plate 164 has a reset portion 168 which extends into notches 170 of the slide bars 126. As the front portion 172 of reset plate 164 is raised, plate 164 will pivot about pin 166 and reset portion 168 will move downwardly engaging notches 170 of any slide bar 126 in the raised position, resetting the slide bars 126. The mechanism for resetting is shown in FIG. 2 as a reset rod 174 having one end attached to portion 172 of the reset plate 164. The other end of the reset rod 174 is secured to a reset crank 176. Reset crank 176 is fixed to a shaft 178 which is rotatably mounted in the plate 108 of the punch mechanism 26. Shaft 178 is provided with fixed cam 180 which cooperates with cams 182 mounted on the punch selectors 110 and 112. The operation of the cams is shown in FIG. 3. As there shown, as punch 106 is moved downwardly to punch ticket 22, cam 182 on punch selector 110 engages cam 180 on shaft 178. This causes the shaft 178 to rotate clockwise as indicated by the arrow. Rotation of shaft 178 rotates the reset arm 176 clockwise thereby lifting the forward portion 172 of the reset plate 174. The action of lever 174 lifting the reset plate 164 resets the raised slide bars 126 through the reset end 168 of reset plate 164. When punch 106 is raised after punching the ticket 22 the slide bars 126 will have been reset and the ticket 22 is again moved along the tracks 44, 52 by the belt 74.

From the above description of the present preferred embodiment of the ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly of this invention, it is believed that those skilled in the art will readily understand its many advantages for use in an automatic fare collection system of a rapid transit system.

Many changes in the constructional details of the disclosed preferred embodiment will occur to those skilled in the art. It will be apparent that many such changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as it is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and which it is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly for use with a ticket transport mechanism comprising:

a. at least one punch member operated by a punch crank to move said punch member into punching engagement with a ticket carried by the ticket transport mechanism;

b. a plurality of slide bar members actuated by a plurality of solenoid devices for selectively placing a predetermined slide bar member in ticket stopping relation with a ticket carried by the ticket transport mechanism; and

tuating bars pivotally associated with one of said slide bar members, said actuating bars being slidable with respect to said slide bar members, and a punch switch actuated member, said punch switch actuated member activated by movement of one of said actuator bars for actuating said punch mechanism 

1. A ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly for use with a ticket transport mechanism comprising: a. at least one punch member operated by a punch crank to move said punch member into punching engagement with a ticket carried by the ticket transport mechanism; b. a plurality of slide bar members actuated by a plurality of solenoid devices for selectively placing a predetermined slide bar member in ticket stopping relation with a ticket carried by the ticket transport mechanism; and c. a reset mechanism operated by said punch crank to return said predetermined slide bar member to nonstopping position.
 2. A ticket punching mechanism and stop assembly as claimed in claim 1 in which said stop assembly is provided with a plurality of actuating bars, each of said plurality of actuating bars pivotally associated with one of said slide bar members, said actuating bars being slidable with respect to said slide bar members, and a punch switch actuated member, said punch switch actuated member activated by movement of one of said actuator bars for actuating said punch mechanism. 